Skip to main content
Physical Education

School of Education Teacher Licensing

UW-Stevens Point works with area teachers in a variety of capacities

​​Teacher Certification Officer

Maggie Beeber

Maggie Beeber

  • Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising – School of Education
  • Teacher Certification Officer – School of Education
715-346-2040
View profile

First License Application

The Educator Licensing Online system is an online Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction portal where qualified candidates apply for their Wisconsin teaching license. Students who completed an approved teacher licensing program and are applying for their first teaching license for the first time will need their school to upload their approved licenses to the portal prior to applying for their license.

NOTE: If you have already applied for your license once, and need to either advance from an Provisional Educator to a Lifetime Educator or renew that license, please apply for your renewal online at the ELO site.

If you completed your first teaching license program Fall 2013 or later, you have received, or in the case of current student teachers will receive, directions to apply for your license at the final student teaching seminar. These directions include the pre-application process (things you can do right away, including receiving a Verification of Completion Form) and the application process (things you can do once you receive our email telling you that we have uploaded your information to DPI’s website). If you completed your program between Fall 2013 and now, you have already been uploaded and can proceed with your license application.
If you completed your first license between Sept. 1, 2004, and Fall 2013, you will need to send the Licensing Request Form to the Office of Field Experiences with a note stating that you completed our program prior to fall 2013 but never applied for your license. This form serves us for first-time license people prior to fall 2013 as well as add-on license requests. You will also need to follow the directions to apply for your license. These include the pre-application process (things you can do now, including receiving a Verification of Completion Form) and the application process (things you can do once you receive our email telling you that we have uploaded your information to DPI’s website).
  • Please complete the form, print, scan, and save as a PDF so that it can be attached if you choose to send everything via email. Make sure to fill out the form completely. Any missing information could delay processing your request.
  • Please read information below regarding the “Foundations of Reading Test for Wisconsin.” This is a requirement for applicants who complete their online license application after January 30, 2014.” If you are seeking a license in a field that now requires the Foundation of Reading Test for Wisconsin, you will need to include your score report along with the “Licensing Request Form.”

If you completed your first license prior to Sept. 1, 2004, but are just now applying for that Wisconsin license for the first time, you will need a paper 1612 form completed and signed by UWSP that you will then upload into the Department of Public Instruction’s Educator Licensing Online (ELO) when applying. This 1612 form is available for download from DPI’s ELO web page (Supplementary Forms).

You will need UWSP to sign the form and return it to you and then you will upload it to DPI’s ELO system.

  • Please read the information below regarding the “Foundations of Reading Test for Wisconsin.” This is a requirement for applicants who complete their online license application after January 30, 2014.” If you are seeking a license in a field that now requires the Foundation of Reading Test for Wisconsin, you will need to include your score report along with the Form 1612 mentioned above.

Office of Field Experiences
field.experiences@uwsp.edu

If you are applying for your very first teaching license, a passing score on the Foundations of Reading Test for Wisconsin will be required if you do not have your license fully applied for by Jan. 30, 2014, per state law, regardless of when you completed the program. This will require you to submit appropriate paperwork to our office, our upload approval to DPI’s website and you completing the application process in its entirety and pay the application fee by the deadline. It can take up to 2-3 weeks for UWSP to process a license request.
  • Cross Categorical Special Education grades K-12 (2801) (Catalog term Fall 2020 or later -UWSP Special Education Major and UWSP Special Education minor)
  • Early Childhood – Regular Education (70-777) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020  – UWSP ECE Major) or Early Childhood-Regular Education (EC-1777) (Catalog term prior to fall 2020 UWSP ECE Major)
  • Early Childhood – Special Education (70-809) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020  – UWSP ECSE Minor) or ECSE (EC-1777) (catalog term Fall 2020 or later – UWSP ECSE Minor)
  • Early Childhood – Middle Childhood (71-777) No longer offered
  • Elementary and Middle School grades K-9 (2088) (Catalog term Fall 2020 or later)
  • Middle Childhood – Early Adolescence (72-777) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020 – UWSP Elementary Education Major)
  • Middle Childhood – Early Adolescence Cross Categorical (72-801) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020 – UWSP Special Education Major and CD, LD and EBD minors)
  • Middle Childhood – Early Adolescence Specific Learning Disabilities (72-811) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020 – UWSP LD minor)
  • Middle Childhood – Early Adolescence Emotional Behavioral Disabilities (72-830) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020 – UWSP EBD minor)
  • Middle Childhood – Early Adolescence Cognitive Disabilities (72-810) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020 – UWSP CD Minor)
  • Early Adolescence – Adolescence Cross Categorical (73-801) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020 – UWSP Special Education Major and CD, LD and EBD minors)
  • Early Adolescence – Adolescence Specific Learning Disabilities (73-811) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020 – UWSP LD minor)
  • Early Adolescence – Adolescence Emotional Behavioral Disabilities (73-830) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020 – UWSP EBD minor)
  • Early Adolescence – Adolescence Cognitive Disabilities (73-810) (Catalog term prior to Fall 2020 – UWSP CD minor)

Notes:

  • If you are solely seeking a special education licensure or a double major in elementary education and special education, you have the option to either pass the FoRT or complete the UWSP DPI approved FoRT Alternative for special education. For those seeking a double major in elementary education and K-12th grade cross categorical special education, and choose the FoRT alternative for K-12th grade cross categorical special education, when it is time to for UWSP to upload your licenses to DPIs licensing portal, your initial license in special education will be posted to DPI by UWSP first and the elementary education (regular education) second. Regular education would then be considered an add-on license and would not require FoRT. Please see the “FoRT Alternative” section on the UWSP FoRT webpage to learn aout the alternative option that applies in this case.
  • If you are a secondary/K-12 major with a special education minor or major, when it is time to upload to DPI, your initial license in your secondary/K-12 field will be posted to DPI by UWSP first and the special education second. K-12th grade cross categorical special education would then be considered an add-on license and would not require FoRT. Please see the “FoRT Alternative” section on the UWSP FoRT webpage to learn about the alternative option that applies in this case.

License with Stipulations

(previously referred to as an Emergency License)

A License with Stipulations allows someone with a bachelor’s degree, who has not completed a teacher education program in the field they are teaching. There are two pathways to this license.

  1. Students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in teacher education through an approved Wisconsin school and are only missing required assessments for their license. The Department of Public Instruction recommends that the hiring school district complete the paperwork for this license. If you do not have a job offer, you can request your university to sign a “License with Stipulations” approval form. If you completed a program through UWSP and are missing a required assessment, please contact Maggie Beeber, mbeeber@uwsp.edu for more information.
  2. If a school district cannot find a teacher certified in the appropriate license subject or developmental/grade range, the district is allowed to hire someone who has earned a bachelor’s degree, as long as they are willing to pursue the required teaching license while they teach.
NOTE: If the license required is in a special education field, this license can only be held for 3 years and the teacher must be fully certified before year four.
For more information on the License with Stipulations option, please see DPI’s website for full details.

Progress Form Request Directions: DPI requires all License with Stipulations Renewals to include a signed PI 1624 LWS1 Progress Form be signed by the institution where you are earning the license(s) for which you are renewing. You will need a signed copy of this form to apply to renew your license with stipulations.

Step 1: Gather the following information and electronic documents prior to starting this process.

  • DPI Entity Number – you can find this when you look up your license on DPI’s website https://dpi.wi.gov/licensing/license-lookup
  • UWSP ID# – if you do not know this number, please call the Office of the Registrar, 715-346-4301, and they can look this up for you.
  • A complete list of courses you have completed since your last License with Stipulations application for this specific license field, the number of credits earned for each course, the grades earned and where you received credit for them. All grades must be posted prior to starting this process. (NOTE:  This list of courses is not required if you had already completed the required coursework prior to your last License with Stipulations application and you are only missing an assessment (Foundations of Reading Test, Praxis Subject Assessment and/or ACTLF tests)
  • Example:
University or Technical College where you earned this credit, including UWSP Course prefix and # Course title # of Credits Final Grade posted on transcript
Example:
UWSP		 EDUC 773 Special Education  Technology Foundation 2 credits A
  • Electronic copies of the following:
    • .pdf of your DPI license https://dpi.wi.gov/licensing/license-lookup
    • Completed PI 1624 LWS1 Progress Form from DPI’s website
      • Please do not leave any information blank.
    • A .pdf of the certification outline/requirements you received from the adviser of the program you are completing. This is not required, but will expedite the process on our end.
    • .pdf of any transcripts for courses you have earned, only from a non-UWSP school, since your last application for this specific License with Stipulations. We have access to your UWSP coursework and grades.
    • .pdf of any score reports for required assessments you have taken to earn this license. (i.e. Foundations of Reading Test, Praxis Subject Assessment and/or ACTFL tests).
    • NOTES:
      • This is required if you had already completed the required coursework prior to your last License with Stipulations application and you are only missing an assessment(s). A posted score is required.
      • If you are only missing the edTPA (Education Teacher Performance Assessment, please contact Maggie Beeber Maggie.Beeber@uwsp.edu or 715-346-2040 as this is no longer required.

Step 2: Complete Electronic Survey

Complete the following survey, in which you will answer specific questions to help us accurately verify your requirements and upload required documents.
Survey

Step 3: UWSP Verification

Once submitted, we will verify your information and Maggie.Beeber@uwsp.edu will either send you the signed paperwork or contact you directly with questions.
This process may take 1-2 weeks.

Step 4: Apply for your License with Stipulations Renewal

Go to DPI’s Website for directions to complete the online application. We recommend reading through the directions immediately as there are documents you may need to prepare in advance or obtain through your school district.
If you have any feedback on these directions, please let us know as we will continue to work to improve upon them.

​Out-of-State Licensure

​Teacher certification requirements differ by state.

Some states may require additional assessments and/or courses prior to applying for their license. The University of Kentucky College of Education provides links to Teacher Certification By States.

If your out-of-state license application requires a signature, please send appropriate materials to the UWSP Office of Field Experiences.

​Add-On Applications

Step 1: New License Approval Request

Submit a completed approval request packet to UWSP via email. We are not able to process requests unless final course grades are posted, packets are complete and all requested information is filled in accurately and completely.

Submit all materials to: field.experiences@uwsp.edu

NOTE: If using email, we suggest whiting out any SS# listed on documentation you are submitting as it can be stolen as it is being sent.

Also, please list “Add-on Request” or the license being requested in the subject line, or include a description in the email. Simply sending a blank email with an attachment may cause it to be filtered out as junk.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

  • Copies of transcripts for any courses (non-UWSP courses) taken after you received your certification outline from us, if they are required for your new license(s).
  • Content Knowledge Requirement – Demonstrate content knowledge by either 1) obtaining a 3.00 or higher in each teaching major and teaching minor or 2) submit passing scores on the required Praxis Subject Assessment exams. Students must meet one of the above requirements for teacher licensure. For information on Praxis Exam, please see pages 9-10 in the School of Education Advising Guide
  • In the case of French, German and Spanish, passing ACTFL score report.
  • Copy of passing Foundations of Reading Test score report, if required – A score of 240 for Test #090 or 233 for Test # 190. This is a state-legislated requirement to add-on Early Childhood, Elementary, K-9 Elementary/Middle school, all special education fields and Reading Teacher. If you are a provisionally or life-time licensed teacher, you do not need this test.
If you are seeking the Reading Specialist license and are not already provisionally or lifetime certified with another administrative license, a passing score on the Foundations of Reading Test is required.
  • Please do not assume we have these scores on file. We have had issues with receiving test scores from the testing companies.

Step 2: UWSP Uploads License Approval

Once we have received approval from the appropriate person on campus, we will upload your approval to DPI’s website. You will receive an email from Maggie Beeber, Teacher Certification Officer, once your approval has been uploaded. You will not be able to apply online earlier than this.
This process may take 2-3 weeks.

Step 3: Online Application

Go to DPI’s website to complete the online application. We have attempted to write out directions that will assist you in preparing for the online application process, as well as directions in case you get stuck on their website. We recommend reading through these directions immediately as there are documents you may need to prepare in advance.
If you have any feedback on these directions, please let us know as we will continue to work to improve upon them.

Step 4: Obtaining Copy of License

DPI will contact you using the email you provide to them with questions, concerns or to inform you that your license has been processed. Once you receive this email, you are invited to go to DPI’s website to print out your new license. DPI is expecting the process, once you have completed your online application and made a payment, to take up to 10 days. It may take longer if anything is missing or if your Conduct and Competency Check takes longer.

Licensing Questions?

Maggie Beeber, Teacher Certification Officer
715-346-2040

FAQs

For directions on how to apply for an initial Wisconsin teaching license, follow the directions for the First License Application process.

For directions on how to apply for an additional Wisconsin teaching license, follow the directions under “Licensing Directions” under Add-On Applications, just above this FAQS section.

You should work directly with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

The UWSP School of Education offers a number of add-on programs. Visit our add-on certifications to learn more.

For more information on this license option, visit our Licenses with Stipulations website to learn more.

For directions on how to renew your Wisconsin teaching license, please contact the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.